Captured Fate
by kimiko.kimi27
Summary: Princess Akurean of the Shuni Empire was promised to a guy from te Tortallan country and she actually accepted that! Is she actually going to marry a foreign prince or does she have a hidden motive? Read more to find out!  D
1. Chapter 1

_First Chapter: Captured Fate_

The night of a blue moon was an omen to the Shuni Empire to reveal themselves in 13 years. They have been hidden by a ward for more than two centuries, long enough that their neighbors have forgotten them. Emperor Tsukotsu, emperor of the Shuni Empire wiped his face with his large hands. He was wearing the mighty crown on his head with his black hair smooth. The velvet vestment he wore made his green eyes shine. The emperor's leather boots clicked as he tapped it on the marble floor. Sweat began to form on his face.

"Your highness," his personal butler, Embarikan, said. "No need to worry about Empress Yukiyami. Chiyoto, the Great Mother Goddess, will look after her Highness like the many times before. You must eat and rest. Waiting out here will do no good."

"I guess you're right, Embarikan. Send a servant to me when my dear has given birth to our fourth child," Emperor Tsukotsu said warily.

"Yes, your Highness", the butler said, bowing deeply.

The emperor looked wistfully at the closed door and headed down the hall to his room with his private ninjas hidden in the shadows. As the emperor approached his room, his three children came dashing down the hall, screaming, towards their father.

"Now, now," the emperor hushed, "remember what I said about running through the hall?" The three children looked at each other and shook their heads. The emperor chuckled and sighed. "Yamazaki, you are seven now. Asuka, you are six and Rudoku, five. All are grown up and should be well behaved."

"Father, we just wanted to go see Mother and our new sibling," Yamazaki replied sweetly. Staring at his father with round innocent, hazel eyes, Yamazaki grabbed his father's gnarled hands and swung it side to side.

"Alright," sighed the emperor. The children took off towards their destination. "Don't get under anybody's foot!"

Just then a servant appeared and bowed deeply. "Your Highness, Commander Zokigam and General Likanoriku wishes to see you at the war chamber," he said steadily.

"Tell them I'll be there in a minute," the emperor coolly replied and waved his hand to dismiss the servant.

Later the time, Empress Yukiyami successfully gave birth to her fourth child. Sweat was covered all over her face, neck, and body. Her dark, brown hair clung to her, afraid to let go like how a frightened child would cling to its mother. The maids took damp towels and wiped Empress Yukiyami's face. Gimayoski, the empress' maid, carried the newborn child to its mother.

Gimayoski remarked," It's a girl. A very beautiful girl, that is."

Empress Yukiyami sat up when the healer finished the herbs and drank the medicine. Eager to look at her newborn child, she dismissed the healer and took her baby in her arms. Looking into the child's dark, brown eyes, she saw a vision that showed her a gorgeous young lady. She had long brownish-black hair and dark brown eyes. The lady was as tall as Empress Yukiyami herself, five feet five, and has the same facial structure. Her skin color was light and she has a slender body. The light pouring out of the lovely young lady was massive. This can only mean my baby child has a great destiny to fulfill, the empress thought. The empress blinked and the vision disappeared.

"I will name you, Akurean, my child. You have a great destiny waiting for you to fulfill," the empress said softly looking up. The door flew open and her three other children came barging in. They crowded around her staring at the baby. The empress laughed as they garbled out questions about what the baby's name would be and said, "Your sister's name is Akurean." Turning to Gimayoski, she asked, "Have you informed my lord of our new child?"

"Yes I have, mistress," Gimayoski said smiling.

The empress nodded and to her kids she said sternly, "Make room for your father when he arrives! Despite your small bodies, you take up a lot of space!"

The children looked up at their mother feeling shocked. Seeing the laughter in her eyes, they started giggling until Emperor Tsukotsu arrived. He spotted his children on the floor laughing and raised his right eye brow. Turning to his wife, his face transformed to a look of worry. He strode across the room taking big steps with his long slender legs until he reached the bed.

"I'm fine, Tsukotsu. Don't hug me so hard, you'll crush our baby!" the empress laughed as Emperor Tsukotsu delivered a fierce hug.

The emperor let go and said affectionately, "I will never stop worrying about you, my dear. I have told you that ever since we married," The emperor kissed his wife softly. Then added more seriously, "Now, what of our child?"

The empress replied, "I have given her the name Akurean. She is given a great destiny that is unknown to me."

"Is her destiny that great, my dear?" the emperor asked his wife. She nodded. He looked down at Akurean and whispered, "Akurean…"

Thirteen years have passed and the Shuni Empire revealed itself to the other kingdoms after being hidden for more than two centuries. The enemy kingdoms were taken surprised by the vast land and powerful armies that were full of skilled mages and men-at-arms. Many of these kingdoms feared that the Shuni Emperor would declare war on them to steal their lands, so they made all kinds of peace treaties immediately. Most of the kingdoms requested a permanent peace treaty with marriage. If Emperor Tsukotsu refuses, then a regular peace treaty, a document, would be made.

Emperor Tsukotsu had four grown children. Yamasaki's twenty years old, Asuka's nineteen, Rudoku's eighteen, and Akurean is thirteen. Prince Yamazaki is betrothed to a princess in the Yamani Islands, Princess Asuka is engaged with a prince in the Copper Isles, and Prince Rudoku is betrothed to a Carthaki princess. That only leaves Princess Akurean. Emperor Tsukotsu loved Akurean dearly and wanted someone who would care for her the way he does.

Maybe I should ask her about being betrothed to the Tortallan prince, the emperor thought. What if she accepts? Shaking his head, the emperor summoned his daughter and wife to the Crown Room.

The door opened and Empress Yukiyami came to sit next to the emperor on the throne. She wore an elegant kimono that was the color of the night sky. It was decorated with sprinkles of tiny stars. Her long brown hair was flowing behind her and her dark eyes twinkle.

"My dear, the kingdom of Tortall, requested a peace treaty through marriage. Akurean is the only child left, but I don't know if she will be treated fairly there. Should Akurean marry the Tortallan prince?" the emperor asked anxiously.

Empress Yukiyami was well respected for her advice and opinions. Even the emperor dared not turn one down. "My lord," looking into his green eyes, the empress advised, "Akurean should make that decision herself. She is intelligent and old enough to make smart choices. Her opinions are as good as mines or even better."

The emperor nodded and the empress patted his hand. A servant opened the door and Princess Akurean walked gracefully towards her parents with her personal maid, Shinkoi. She was wearing a marvelous pink kimono with pink blossoms decorated on it. Her hairstyle is designed like a butterfly's wing and wore kimono slippers. On her ears dangled diamond earrings that flashed evenly. Anybody who saw her would be in awe and say that she is the most beautiful lady in the world. They stopped in the middle of the room and went down to their knees. The princess and maid, then, sat on their legs, put their hands on the cold, smooth marble floor facing down and bowed deeply until their forehands touched their fingertips. Slowly, the two got to their feet and looked at their Imperial Highnesses.

Empress Yukiyami said tiredly, "I have told you many times that we do not require you to bow to us when we are not at court!"

"But Mother, if I do not do so, I may forget my manners since I _rarely_ go to court," Princess Akurean said mockingly.

Emperor Tsukotsu cleared his throat and said, "You have already heard of all the peace treaties, haven't you, Akurean?" Akurean nodded. He continued, "Your brothers and sister are all betrothed, which means that you may marry the prince of Tortall."

"What do you mean by 'may'?" asked the princess. "Shouldn't that be an order? You didn't give Yamazaki or the others a choice."

"Your father and I have read documents from our spies about the princes and princesses from each kingdom except Tortall, " Empress Yukiyami paused, then continued, "We have seen how some men in Tortall treated woman and we don't want you to experience that. The decision is yours."

Akurean stood there pondering about the information. After several minutes she replied, "May you ask King Jonathan and Queen Thayet, rulers of Tortall, if I can visit them as a guest? That way I can meet Prince Roald and get to know him and the kingdom. I shall conceal my identity of being a first rank princess and become a second rank princess."

Her parents were wordless. They hadn't expected their daughter to suggest such an outstanding idea. The emperor agreed and went to write the letter. Both the empress and the princess went to the private garden in the middle of the mansion.

Each day passed and Princess Akurean got nervous. She practiced her hand-to-hand combat skills with Shinkoi. After that, they practiced using swords, spears, staffs, and _shurangins_. _Shurangins_ were sharp small daggers mostly used to throw at your foe, but Akurean had learned how to use it as a tiny sword. Once the princess had enough practice, Shinkoi cleaned the weapons and prepared a bath. After the princess has taken a bath, Shinkoi stopped her mistress after the entered their rooms.

"Are you really going to marry Prince Roald of Tortall, your Highness?" asked Shinkoi.

"As I have said before, Shinkoi, I shall meet with Prince Roald. And if he isn't the kind of man I need, then my father will reject," Akurean retorted.

The next day a messenger arrived. He hurried through the hall to the Crown Room where the emperor and empress awaited. The messenger knocked on the door and opened it. The he briskly walked to the middle of the room and bowed deeply. He cleared his throat and read the letter from King Jonathan and Queen Thayet.

_Dear Emperor Tsukotsu and Empress Yukiyami,_

_I agree that Princess Akurean should get to know my son before she decides whether to marry or not. My son is fifteen years old right now and is in training to be a knight. She can live with the pages and interact with them. Princess Akurean may join their training activities if she wishes to; however, she is a spectator and must remember that. One year is all I can give you before my son becomes a squire and works with his knight-master._

_With my blessings,_

_**King Jonathan**_

The messenger passed the letter to the emperor and left the door bowing. Emperor Tsukotsu turned to his daughter with a questioning look. The princess nodded. The deal is on!

In Tortall, King Jonathan hurried the carpenters and designers to finish up their work on the rooms. They designed it perfectly hoping to impress the princess. He summoned his son and wife to talk about the guest.

"Roald, I want you to be on your best behavior when our guests arrive from Shuni. You will be in the welcome party with us, and after the party, you are to escort the princess back to her room in the pages' dorm," the king explained at Prince Roald's confused expression.

"Father, are you going to make me be betrothed to a Shuni princess to make peace?" the prince demanded.

"We didn't say you _are _going to marry, Roald," Queen Thayet said slowly, and glanced at the king who shrugged. Thayet cleared her throat then continued, "The Shuni have requested to see our kingdom and you, of course. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mother," Prince Roald replied quietly. He bowed and returned to the pages' dorm. The guests come here to see _me _and the kingdom, but if the guests see that _I_ am mean and rude, and then maybe I won't have to marry the princess, thought the prince. He shook his head vigorously and continued on his way.

Shinkoi helped the princess pack kimonos and slippers for the trip to Tortall. She added a couple of _shurangins_ to the pile. Then, Shinkoi put her own clothes and weapons in a separate pile.

"Princess Akurean, I have finished packing our things," Shinkoi said excitedly.

Princess Akurean laughed at Shinkoi's tone. "If you want to leave to Tortall sooner, then help me do the butterfly hairstyle!" she chuckled.

Both the princess and the maid boarded the royal ship painted maple brown. Emperor Tsukotsu and Empress Yukiyami waved goodbye to their daughter as it sailed away going northeast.

Akurean leaned against the railings of the ship on the deck. The sky was clear with the sun shining radiantly on them. She was dressed in a yellow kimono with red bamboo leaves and with her butterfly hairstyle. On the inside of the kimono, soft fur was patched on it to keep the princess warm from the cold weather in Tortall. Also, there were sheaths sewn in the kimono to put _shurangins_. Shinkoi, who was watching the rolling waves with the princess, wore a similar kimono, but it was plain brown.

Night came soon and they both returned to their miniature room on the ship. They only needed one more day of sailing to their destination. All were excited for leaving their empire for the first time over two hundred years.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: An Opened Heart_

The deck was crowded with millions of people waiting to see the princess. The king, queen, and prince were also waiting among the immense crowd. The sun shone brightly, promising a beautiful day, reflecting on shiny objects. Knights and mages were scattered everywhere on the lookout to prevent any danger to the foreign princess.

At last, the ship was spotted coming along the coast. Everyone cheered and whistled at the magnificent sight. Their majesties and the prince rose to their feet and the people bowed. The ship docked and out came the elegant princess looking significant. Wearing a scarlet colored kimono with maple leaves, she walked gracefully to King Jonathan, Queen Thayet, and Prince Roald with Shinkoi at her shadows. Princess Akurean and Shinkoi bowed deeply like they have practiced many times on the ship. Surprisingly, their majesties and the prince bowed at her, too.

Still astonished by her beauty, silence dragged on until Queen Thayet cleared her throat and King Jonathan said warmly, and "Welcome to Tortall, Princess Akurean! I am King Jonathan," pointing to his wife, "Queen Thayet and my son, Prince Roald," nodding towards the prince.

"Nice to meet you", the queen and prince said in unison, bowing slightly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your majesties, Prince Roald," Princess Akurean said politely looking at the prince. He is _very_ handsome! Akurean thought. Well, of course, I can't judge a person by their looks.

Like his parents Roald had piercing blue eyes and coal, black hair. His height five feet five, at the age of 15, Prince Roald looked mature and manly. He wore proper clothes, a velvet vestment and black, shiny shoes.

"Come! Let us show you to your rooms at the pages' dorm!" exclaimed the king. "Leave your belongings where they are. The servants would be placed in your rooms by the servants."

Akurean bowed to the king and glanced at the prince. He was staring at her with cold, icy eyes that made the princess shiver. She briskly walked behind the king without looking back.

"My lady, the prince does not seem so fond of you," Shinkoi remarked softly.

"Well, you can't blame him for hating me since he has to marry someone he doesn't even know. I won't hold it against him," Princess Akurean said defensively holding an opened fan over her mouth, so no one can read her lips.

"As you say, my lady," replied Shinkoi.

They walked through the crowds, with knights surrounding them, until they reached the horses. Everybody mounted up and started on the road to the capital city, Corus. Luckily, Akurean had learned how to saddle and mount a horse before she has left her beloved empire or she would have embarrassed herself.

Finally, they passed the gates of Corus. Looking around, Akurean saw townsfolk chat and trade goods. Children sprinted around playing. Once in a while, the townsfolk would turn to stare at her in wonder.

"We have arrived at the pages' dorm, Princess Akurean," King Jonathan said dismounting.

"Please, call me Akurean, your Highness," Akurean said sweetly. She slid down from the saddle and followed everyone inside.

All the pages were eating lunch when the king, queen, prince, and princess arrived. The pages scrambled to their feet, surprised at their guests, and bowed.

"Everyone, our kingdom is honored to have a Shuni princess as our visitor. I would like her to see you fine gentlemen train hard and work hard to become a knight." The king paused and waited patiently for the noise the quiet down. Then he continued, "Of course, the princess will be living here for the time being as a spectator and, if she wishes, join your training activities. You may continue your lunch."

The training master, Lord Wlydon, greeted their majesties and to Akurean, he said, "Welcome to Corus, the capital city, Princess Akurean! I am Wlydon, the person in charge of training these young men to become fine knights. I hope you will enjoy your stay here at the page's dorm with my boys."

"It is a pleasure, Sir Wlydon, and please, call me Akurean," she replied courteously.

Lord Wlydon motioned for a tall, handsome boy with brown hair and green emerald eyes. "Lady Akurean, Nealan of Queenscove will show you to your rooms." He bowed and walked away back to his table.

The king and queen gave their blessings and left. Nealan bowed and motioned Akurean to follow; Prince Roald also followed them.

"Princess Akurean…that is a lovely name and it fits you quite well," remarked Nealan, his eyes looking her over. Prince Roald nudged him in the ribs.

"I thank you for your compliment, Nealan of Queenscove, but do call me Akurean," she said hiding a smile while bowing slightly.

"You call me Neal and I will call you Akurean," Neal said grinning. "Hey Roald, come on, say something. You are a horrible host for beautiful Akurean. Here are your rooms," he said opening a door.

"Thank you, Neal," Akurean said warmly. "You and Prince Roald should return to do your duties. I'll be fine in my room for now until Shinkoi comes back."

"Alright then," Neal said enthusiastically. I'll see you at lunch!" Then he whispered in Roald's ear, "If you don't want her, I'll take your place," he teased and trotted away.

"Prince Roald," Akurean said. Her tone made him look at her; really look at her. Roald gazed into her deep, brown eyes memorizing them, never taking his eyes off. "Would you like to come in? It is silly for you to keep standing at the door," Akurean smiled.

"Forgive me, Akurean," Roald said blushing. He walked in the room.

Pictures hang neatly on the wall. Two beds were arranged and a large desk was in the corner. A closet was in another corner of the room. Akurean walked gracefully to the bed and sat down. Shinkoi went with other servants to get a tour of the palace and get her princess' bath ready.

"Akurean, I…" Roald began.

"Yes?" she asked looking at his blue eyes.

He cleared his throat and started again, "I-I'm sorry that haven't talked to you or welcomed you properly. I apologize for that. It's just that I haven't seen a lady as beautiful as you and my mind just scrambled." He smiled as Akurean blushed. "At first, when my parents told me that I am to be betrothed to a princess from the Shuni Empire, I was so upset, so angry because I have to marry someone I don't know, which irritates me. Since you know the princess that I am supposed to marry if she accepts, will you tell me about her?"

"Well," Akurean chuckled, "she…is similar to Shinkoi. They grew up together and Shinkoi admired her. She is intelligent and always cared about other people. The princess…is a skilled fighter, too. She can use many weapons and she loves to train with the men-at-arms." She looked at Roald who felt awed and smiled.

"Thank you for telling me about the princess," he said smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow to show you around."

"I will be looking forward to it," Akurean said bowing.

He started towards the door, then turned around and grinned, "You can call me Roald and I'll call you Akurean just like your deal with Neal. Have a good night."

"You have a good night, too, Roald," Akurean whispered as Roald closed the door behind him.

Akurean went to the desk to write a letter to her parents. She started writing, but I sounded wrong and threw it away. Then she tried again. She wrote:

_Dear Mother and Father,_

_I have arrived at Tortall safely. The king and queen are quite nice. I met with the prince and his friend today, too. The prince has talked to me a few times, yet, I am not so thrilled. He is still a stranger to me, but that's why I talk to him, right? Prince Roald has promised to show me around the palace tomorrow. It is time for my bath now. I'll write to you again soon!_

_Love,_

_**Akurean**_

Akurean gave the letter to Shinkoi, who gave it to a messenger. Akurean and Shinkoi both went to take a bath. A bell rang loudly to signal the people at the palace that it was supper time. Pages filed out to the meal room, getting in line to get food. Prince Roald knocked on Princess Akurean's door. Akurean opened the door and smiled.

"How do I look?" Akurean asked as she twirled around to show the prince.

The princess wore a Tortallan gown that was the color of the sky. Despite the plain appearance, Akurean still looked gorgeous.

"You look splendid!" Roald exclaimed.

Akurean blushed slightly and said, "Thank you."

"Are you ready for supper, Akurean?" Roald said offering her his arm.

"Yes, I am. Shinkoi, dinner time! Let's go!" Akurean said as she placed her hand on Roald's arm.

"Yes, mistress," Shinkoi said dashing to the door.

He led them through the halls to the familiar meal room where everybody chattered. As they entered, squires and pages jumped to their feet and owed.

"Ah, Princess Akurean, Prince Roald," Lord Wlydon nodded and gestured Akurean to an empty table. "Your maid can get your food." He nodded to Shinkoi and she went to get soup for her mistress and herself.

"We start training tomorrow at dusk, if you'd like to join us. We'll be doing staff training this month," Lord Wlydon said pleasantly.

"I'll be sure to join," Akurean replied.

"Very good, princess," Lord Wlydon said and bowed.

Soon, Shinkoi returned with their supper and began to eat. Roald and his friends walked over to their table and asked in unison, "May we join you?"

Akurean laughed and said, "Have a seat."

"So, are you really going to do the training with us?" Neal asked.

"Sure. It would be fun," Akurean smiled.

"But you don't know how to fight! Do you?" asked Roald.

"Of course my princess knows how to fight! Every woman in our empire is required to train and learn self-defense," Shinkoi boasted.

Akurean flashed a glare at Shinkoi, telling her to stop giving any more information. Shinkoi blinked an apology. "I have only been trained to use shurangins."

"What are shurangins?" asked one of the boys sitting at the table.

Shinkoi glanced at Akurean, who nodded. "Shurangins are these specials knives that people in our country use."

"But how can that be used to fight an enemy when it is small?" Roald questioned.

"They are used to-"the loud bell rang to signal the pages and squires to class. "Oh, I guess you'll just have to wait until next time. I'm pretty sure your classes are _much _more interesting than our boring little lecture," laughed Shinkoi.

Akurean giggled as the pages stuffed the rest of their food down in order to be on time for their night time studying. The sight was pretty hilarious that made Princess Akurean and Shinkoi laugh, which made the boys blush in embarrassment. They waved good bye and went their separate ways.

"Today was pretty fun, don't you think so, Shinkoi?" asked Akurean.

The maid replied, "I agree. I wonder if tomorrow will be even more exciting than today! I look forward to the training exercise tomorrow. I can't wait to see their faces when I beat them up!"

Akurean laughed, "Shinkoi, you should change that attitude of yours or you'll never get a good husband."

"I'm happy if you are happy, my princess. Once you get married, then I will start looking for my true love, so don't you start worrying about me!" Shinkoi reassured the princess.

"You never changed at all, Shinkoi," Akurean sighed. "Well, it's best to get some sleep, because we're going to be waking up early tomorrow."

"Good night, my lady," Shinkoi yawned as they got into bed.

"Sweet dreams, Shinkoi," Akurean whispered as she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: The First Sign of Danger_

Akurean woke up to the sound of birds chirping and squirrels scurrying through the trees. She got up from bed and stretched her aching body. The princess glanced at Shinkoi's bed and realized that her maid was gone.

_I wonder where she went so early in the morning_, Akurean thought to herself.

Just then Shinkoi's head popped in the room and said, "Morning, my princess! Your bath is ready."

"I'll be there in a minute," Akurean replied.

Shinkoi closed the door while Akurean picked out a kimono to wear for the training today.

"I better hurry or I'll be late for breakfast," Princess Akurean muttered.

Akurean and Shinkoi sat down at an empty table to eat their breakfast. Surprisingly, there were only a few people in the dining room. The princess scanned the room and spotted a young man observing her. He had short, spiky hair with emerald green eyes. He saw her looking in his direction and swiftly looked away.

_Is there something on my face? _thought Akurean_._

"You two are up pretty early," Neal said as he arrived.

"Waking at this time is pretty much normal for us, " Shinkoi replied while eating.

"And here I thought you ladies were excited about your first time training with us, handsome gentlemen," Neal said with a sad face.

"We are looking forward to the training session," Akurean said reassuringly.

His face lit up, "Really? That's terrific! Now I have my appetite back."

"You were just faking your sadness, Neal. Only so you can hear the princess say that she was looking forward to the training session with us," Prince Roald accused as he arrived with his tray of food.

Neal blushed as the princess smiled at him.

"You gentlemen should hurry up and eat. It is almost time to start training. My lady and I will go on ahead without you two," Shinkoi said while picking up the tray.

While they were walking in the hallway, Shinkoi asked, "Are you going to pretend that you don't know how to use a staff and other weapons?"

"Of course! I already said that I only know how to use shurangins," Akurean said unconcerned. "Shinkoi," Akurean said suddenly, "Be on your toes. I have a feeling something bad might happen today,"

Shinkoi looked at her mistress with curiosity. Princess Akurean's warnings should always be taken seriously. "Yes, my princess. I shall be careful," Shinkoi bowed her head slightly.

"Good," Akurean replied. "Now let's hurry over to the training area."

Just then a servant walked up to them and said, "Princess Akurean, their majesties has requested to see you at the main dining room."

"Take me there," Akurean replied.

The servant bowed and said, "This way, your highness."

Akurean and Shinkoi followed the servant through the many hallways that lead to the main castle. They passed by multiple rooms that were decorated significantly. The servant stopped and opened a door. The princess entered with Shinkoi and bowed once they saw the king and queen.

"What can I do for you, my majesties?" Akurean asked politely.

"We just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed," Queen Thayet said.

"No need to worry. If I need anything, I will ask one of the servants," Akurean reassured.

"Very well. Have you eaten breakfast yet? There is plenty of seafood on the table," King Jonathan said hungrily.

"Shinkoi and I have already eaten breakfast. If you'll excuse us, your majesties, we have a training session to attend to," Akurean said courteously.

"Well, of course! Come have dinner with us any time you want. Have fun at the training session!" King Jonathan exclaimed.

Akurean and Shinkoi bowed and left the room to the training camp. As they arrived, they saw that the pages have already started the training exercise.

"Aah, glad that you can make it, Princess Akurean," Lord Wlydon welcomed.

"I apologize for our tardiness. We had an important meeting to attend to," Akurean said kindly.

Shinkoi grabbed a staff and yelled, "Who wants to go against me for practice?"

Several hands went up and Lord Wlydon made them form a line. "Are you skilled with a staff?"

"I'm not that good and I'm not that bad. Back at home, I was the weakest when it comes to spears and staffs, but I am the strongest using swords," Shinkoi said honestly.

"Aah, I see. Then I guess this will be great practice for the boys, eh?" Lord Wlydon replied. "Let's begin!"

"Our first drill will be swinging the staff down onto your partner's head, which of course your partner has to block the attacks. Next, you will swing the staff to the right and to the left. And the last step is to swing upward. Boys, you better block the last swing or you will be rolling on the ground," the instructor shouted his orders.

"Yes, sir!" his students said in unison.

One by one they paired up and started swinging the staff as Lord Wlydon gave his orders. Akurean was paired up with the red headed guy that she had seen in the dining room this morning. Shinkoi was paired up with Neal and the prince was paired up with another student. He is Jack of Timberson.

The instructor yelled, "Down, right, left, up," whenever their rhythm was off.

The mysterious red headed young man grinned at Akurean and said, "You're pretty good at this, princess."

"Not really. This drill is just simple if you think about it," Akurean replied cautiously.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Xertec of Tunstall. I know it is none of my business, but I'm quite curious about why you decided to come to Tortall," Xertec said while blocking the princess' attacks.

"Well, Xertec of Tunstall, it is certainly not your business, so you do not need to know," Akurean replied with narrowed eyes.

"Of course," he replied. "But that doesn't stop me from finding more about you." Xertec smiled at her, sending a chill down her spine. "How abou-"

"All right everyone! Let's take a break. We'll resume in thirty minutes," Lord Wlydon called out.

Akurean briskly turned around and walked away to put away her staff. _I got to thank Lord Wlydon for saving me back there, _thought Akurean. _That saved me from listening to the rest of his nonsense and saved me from replying to him questions._

"Akurean! Come join us over here," Neal bellowed.

"Okay! I'll be there!" Akurean replied. She ran up the hill to where they and sat down under the tree.

"So what do you think about the training? I think it was fun," Roald asked.

"It was fun and was great workout for me. How about you, Shinkoi?" Akurean said as she took a sip of cold water.

"I think it was exciting. Especially when I have to strike upward, " Shinkoi giggled.

"She almost hit me in my weak spot when I wasn't paying attention," Neal exclaimed. "Luckily, I have fast reflexes."

"I would love to see you rolling on the ground, Neal," Roald laughed.

"Then we'll partner up and see who is going to be the one that will be rolling on the ground," Neal challenged the prince.

Roald grinned, "Bring it o-"

All of a sudden, the loud bells began to ring. Soldiers, knights, and wizards came streaming out of the buildings. All the children were rushed inside their house until the streets were empty.

"Wha-what is happening?" Akurean asked worriedly.

"I don't know if this is a drill, but let's get inside a building first," Roald instructed. "Whenever more than one bell rings, it means that enemies are here. They are either armies from other countries or immortals, like Cyclops."

The group of teenagers rushed towards the nearest building. Passing by the box of staffs, Shinkoi quickly grabbed a couple of staffs for everyone to use just in case they were attacked.

"Kekeke, I found you at last, Prince of Tortall," came a nasty voice from the sky. "We shall be taking your head as a decoration for our queen. Ready or not, here we come!"


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: The Battle Begins_

There was an awkward silence that followed after they heard the mysterious voice. Everybody searched for the owner of the voice, but found none. The group looked at each other and decided that it was someone playing a joke and ran on to the closest building. Suddenly, there was a massive explosion a couple meters in front of them.

"You are not going to escape from us," the mysterious voice threatened. "Are you a coward or what? Come on and fight us, you weaklings. Don't go on and ignore us immortals. Just because we look hideous and smelly doesn't mean you should underestimate us!"

Shinkoi answered, "We would like to fight with you. But the thing is, we can't _see_ you. So, why not show yourselves to us or _we'll_ start calling _you_ cowards."

"…..Oh right. I forgot we cast an invisible spell on ourselves…,"muttered the immortal. The immortals uncast the spell and slowly they appeared. Instantly their rotting smell spread like a virus and the young group suddenly felt like vomiting. The immortals grinned, showing their razor, sharp teeth. "Now how do you like us stormwings?"

"Phew! Roald, why did you have to fart at the wrong place and the wrong time? Geez! You could have given us a warning," Neal said while fanning his face with his hands.

"What are you talking about? It wasn't me! It must have been you, since you're the one who brought it up," Roald protested. "You shouldn't have released your inhuman gas in front of the princess! In fact, it can kill us all!"

"Hahahaha! You're right, but I just couldn't hold it in," Neal laughed.

"Ahem. Instead of joking around, aren't we supposed to be running away? We will die from this stink if we continue standing here," Shinkoi complained.

The leader of the stormwing shot a fire blast right in front of them. "Hey, you puny little weaklings, if you are going to ignore us any longer, we will blast you to bits."

"Umm…I think you should to pass your invitation on seeing who is stronger to someone else, because we don't really enjoy hanging out with you guys," Akurean said glancing at the others to make sure they understood. They nodded. "And, uh… stormwings, we are kind of busy at the moment, so why not come back again. BYE!"

The princess threw a brown bottle up towards the stormwings and everyone sprinted into the building, leaving the immortals screaming and locked the doors and windows. Their hearts pounded against their chest as they looked at each other, not sure what to do. Akurean looked into Shinkoi's eyes. The maid knew what Akurean wanted to do, but she shook her head in disagreement.

"We'll have to wait for the knights and magicians to come rescue us. I will hold them off as long as I can if they enter this room," Shinkoi said breaking the silence.

"So, uh… Akurean, what exactly did you throw at the stormwings?" Roald asked.

"Oh, hehe…that…was something I made in case if I needed self-protection…if Shinkoi wasn't with me," Akurean said searching to find the right words.

"Well, it sure worked," Neal said while listening to the stormwings screaming. "I wonder how effective it is if it was thrown at a human."

"….It was made to throw at a human, Neal," Shinkoi pointed out. "We never even knew there were such things as stormwings."

Neal frowned. "Really?"

"Yes. Just how stupid can you get?" Roald said with a grin.

Several hours past, but the enemies still did not find them. The only thing the group heard waas magicians blasting their magic outside in the distance, and the knights taunting the stormwings with their swords. Everyone fell asleep while they were wating to be rescued, but Shinkoi stayed alert in case of an attack.

Akurean tossed and turned in her sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the castle. Pictures were torn up, walls were broken, and everybody was running towards the exit. Akurean looked around to find out what was happening. Unfortunately, she didn't find any clues, so she sprinted outside. There, up in the sky, she saw it. Stormwings crowding the sky, blocking the clouds and sun. Akurean heard a growl behind her and spun around. She couldn't believe her eyes. Standing in fron tof her was a large creature that she has never seen before, but all she knows is that this monster has to be eliminated. But for some reason, she couldn't move at all. Akurean was frozen in terror. The monster roared, showing its long deadly teeth, and leaped towards her. Akurean covered her face with her hands.

"Aaaaah!" Akurean screamed out loud.

"What's wrong, princess?" Shinkoi asked while running to her side.

Akurean replied, "Oh, it's nothing. I just had a bad dream. That's all. Nothing to worry about." She glanced at everybody, who looked at her with worried eyes. "How long have we been in this building?"

"We've been in this building for 5 hours now. So, it must be around late , it's pretty quiet outside," Roald said while stretching his legs.

"I'll go look around outside and see if it's safe or not," Shinkoi said while heading towards the doorway.

Neal exclaimed, "Great! I'll go with you. I need to stretch my legs anyways."

Together, Shinkoi and Neal went and Roald sat on the floor in the building chitchating about what the next lesson will be. Within 3 minutes, Neal popped his head in the building.

Neal waved his hand, "It's all clear. We can leave now!"

"Okay! We're coming!" the princess called as she patted her dress to get rid of dust. "Come on, Roald! Let's go!," Akurean said grabbing his hand and leading him outside.

"Let's head back to the castle. We've searched this whole place, but we haven't seen anyone yet," Shinkoi yawned while gesturing them to follow.

"I hope nothing bad happens," Akurean whispered. "I don't think I'll stand a chance going against the stormwings. So, before anything else happens, I'll ask Lord Wlydon to teach us how to fight immortals!"

"Yeah. Hehehe, that will totally ruin his whole plan for the year!" Neal grinned.

They trudged onward to the main castle. Along the way, they spotted broken buildings and burnt grass and fences. Once, they reached the gates of the castle, the group found that the place was crowded with the townsfolks and soldiers everywhere. They rushed to the dorm to find Lord Wlydon.

"Lord Wlydon!" Roald yelled. "We must speak with you."

"Ah, Prince Roald. I'm glad that you are safe. We were attacked by stormwings, so we needed to gather everyone togther for protection. I was about to send a search party to search for you since you haven't returned," Lord Wlydon explained to the kids.

"Are we going to be attacked again, sir?" Shinkoi asked.

"As far as I can see, we will be safe for a month or so. Don't worry too much about it. When the time comes, you guys just head for shelter inside the castle," the lord said confidently.

"My lord, can you train us how to fight against the immortals?We feel that we need to be ready to fight them the next time they raid us," Akurean requested.

Lord Wlydon hesitated, "Well, I don't think there are training methods to fight against immortals." Wlydon glanced at his students. "But I can develope ways on how to train, if you are tha desparate."

"Oh, thank you so much, Lord Wlydon! I am so happy, I could give you a french kiss!" Neal exclaimed, unable to contain his happiness.

"I'll have to pass on that. Now hurry up to bed. Tomorrow, you still got training to do!" Lord Wlydon laughed.

Everyone went their separate ways back to their rooms. Akurean smiled at the thought of being able to learn something new in this foreign country that she has never known before. _Immortals._ Back in the Shuni empire, the spiritual barrier is so powerful that no immortal can pass through it. But in this place, the barrier is very weak, so it is possible that all the immortals can break through the barrier, or even destroy it. Akurean and Shinkoi reached their room and prepared to take a bath.

Before they turned off the light to go to bed, Akurean smiled," The fun has just begun!"

"Yes, indeed. This is the reason why we are sent here, isn't it? It's time for the prophecy to come true, princess," Shinkoi whispered. "Let us hope that we will all survive the upcoming catastrophe!"

The two of them stared at each other for several minutes. Then Akurean said," Good night!" and turned off the lights.

Shinkoi laughed. Pulling up the covers she yawned," Sweet dreams, my princess."


End file.
